> But the main drift of these reflections was to make me realize how little
> I actually know about the details about 19C US financial history.
> Can anyone recommend a good book on the subject?
_The_ book about the various 19th Century defaults by Sovereign States of the United States is McGrane, Reginald C. , _Foreign Bondholders and American State Debts_ (New York : MacMillan) 1935. The other less good older book is Scott, William Amasa, _ The repudiation of state debts_ (New York, AMS Press [a reprint of an 1893 book]) 1974. Oddly, both are offsite at the Columbia libe and have to be ordered at the circulation desk.
A copy of McGrane will be all you need; if you can't find a copy you can borrow mine.
john mage